Fightful Select reported on Thursday that WWE has its sights on signing 42-year old NJPW star Jeff Cobb.
The report also indicates one source claimed that Cobb has already been placed on WWE’s internal roster. It is also said by Fightful and F4WOnline that Cobb is still working for NJPW, despite his contract with the Japanese promotion expiring earlier this year.
Dave Meltzer, in his latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter said the following regarding Cobb and WWE:
“Sean Sapp reported that Jeff Cobb is coming in [to WWE]. His New Japan deal expired at the end of January but he is currently in Japan for the New Japan Cup,” Meltzer wrote. “He’s been living for a while in Fukuoka, Japan, but at 42, it was also known that he sensed this was perhaps his last chance to make the kind of money WWE & AEW pay. He did turn down AEW several years back because he was happy in New Japan, so happy that he ended up moving there. The only thing we have heard from WWE at press time is that there have been talks, but no confirmation of a deal. Cobb is booked for the 4/11 New Japan show in Chicago.”
Cobb competed in the New Japan Cup 2025 on Friday, defeating Tetsuya Naito. Cobb will now move on to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Before the match, Cobb took to social media addressing the reports of the WWE rumors.
Cobb will square off against Shota Umino on Saturday, which is his next match in the New Japan Cup. The tournament finals are set to take place on Thursday, March 20. The winner earns an IWGP Heavyweight Championship opportunity in the main event of Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 5.
In NJPW, Cobb has held the IWGP Tag Team Championships and NJPW World Television Championship. In addition to making appearances in AEW, he has also wrestled for PWG, ROH and Lucha Underground.